


Carving Kits

by WolfRune20855



Series: The Basics of Broom Magic [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Family Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, Marcus and Merriam, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29903880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfRune20855/pseuds/WolfRune20855
Summary: Marcus and Katie go furniture shopping.
Relationships: Katie Bell/Marcus Flint
Series: The Basics of Broom Magic [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179386
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Carving Kits

Katie had never ventured into the lower alleys before. Some of the other Diagon Alley kids would dare each other to sneak into Knockturn, crowning whichever idiot made it the furthest king for the day. Katie has always thought that was stupid. She wasn’t scared of the area, but she didn’t have a strong desire to venture down there. She liked the shiny streets of Diagon Alley. Knockturn was dark, and, she imagined, so was everything past that. She didn’t want to venture into the lower alleys when she would rather spend her time in her workshop. She preferred brooms to most things in the world anyways. The lower alleys weren’t special in that regard. 

She was surprised when Marcus told her to meet him at the bottom of Knockturn Alley to do a little furniture shopping. It was the second Friday in October. The Falcons’ first game of the season was tomorrow, so they’d run practice in the morning to give their bodies time to recover. Katie thought Marcus would be lounging around his flat (she honestly expected Nilsy to keep him locked inside so he didn’t strain himself), but instead he wanted to go furniture shopping in the _lower alleys._

Sometimes, Katie wondered if Marcus Flint was sane. 

Despite her trepidation, Katie veered away from the main alleys at noon, stepping foot into Knockturn Alley for the first time in her life. The air shifted around her, tingling with a strange energy. She wouldn’t call it magic––magic wasn’t alive like that––but something changed. It put Katie on edge, reminding her that she didn’t belong there. She was an outsider.

Somehow, the alley was dark despite the bright noon sun shining overhead. Shadows loomed off of the building, reaching their curling fingers towards Katie as she hurried down the center of the street. She tugged her cloak tighter around herself as the wind picked up. Leaves danced across the cobblestones before her. Her left hand remained in her pocket, her fingers clutched around her wand. The feeling that she shouldn’t be there grew the deeper into the alley Katie watched.

A kid ran past her. Katie instinctually skirted out of the way, thanking her chaser’s instincts for saving her from a collision. Catching the boy’s disappointed expression, she wondered if she’d avoided more than a run-in. There were pick-pockets in the alley, weren’t there? Katie instantly regretted bringing her small carving set with her. She’d had those hook, whittling, and detail carving knives since she was four. They were a gift from her father and she carried them everywhere. She’d be miffed if they were stolen.

She let out a breath of relief when she spotted Marcus at the end of the road. He leaned casually against the entrance to a street that led deeper into the lower alleys. His attention was focused on those alleys, searching them so actively that he didn’t notice Katie’s approach. 

“Are you insane?” she hissed, stopping beside him. If she stood a little closer to him than she normally would, no one would blame her. She was in the heart of the thieves’ den. Sticking close to Marcus was a smart move. “What in Merlin’s name made you think going shopping in Knockturn Alley was a smart idea?”

“We’re not in Knockturn Alley anymore,” Marcus answered. “This is Kyprioth Court.”

“Is there a difference?” Katie honestly didn’t know. She didn’t know a single thing about the lower alleys and the people who resided there. Every story she’d heard about the lower alleys was about how bad they were. A den of thieves. 

“Knockturn prices are ridiculous.”

Katie stared at Marcus in disbelief. “You’re the heir to the Flint fortune.” She couldn’t believe Marcus actually considered _Knockturn Alley_ prices too high. The Flints has generations of wealth dating back to the Roman Empire. Money was not something Marcus ever had to worry about. 

“I refuse to spend any of _his_ money,” Marcus hissed. Fire shone in his dark eyes. 

Katie couldn’t say she blamed him, but, still… “So, you decided the best place to shop was Knockturn Alley––Kyprioth Court––whatever.” 

“Not exactly.” Marcus smiled as his gaze shifted down the alley. “It’s the only place we can shop with her though.” 

Katie followed his line of sight. Her mouth dropped. Walking towards them was a plain-looking woman with dark hair. She stood tall and confident. Katie couldn’t believe it. She’d only ever seen pictures and heard stories of Merriam. She’d never expected to meet her––not after everything that Marcus had done to get her away from his father. She couldn’t find the words to explain her surprise. 

“Marcus,” Merriam said softly, pulling her son down into a hug. Marcus wrapped his arms around her. They hugged for a moment. Merriam pulled away first, her warm gaze sliding to Katie. “You must be Katie. Marcus has told me all about you, or, well, as much as he tells anyone about anything. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

“You too.” 

Merriam smiled that kind smile that Katie had seen in Marcus’s photographs. She couldn’t help but compare it to her own mother’s smile. Katie loved her mother, but Helena Bell had a tendency to steamroll over the world around her. If Katie wanted her mother to really listen, she had to approach her with a bulletproof argument. Even then, Helena rarely changed her mind. It was easier to give in to her demands. 

Katie glanced at Marcus, briefly wondering what he had told Merriam about her. Hopefully, he hadn’t told her anything too embarrassing. Katie wanted to make a good impression. She didn’t have a very good track record with parents. The Locks may have liked her, but the Spinnets thought that she was odd for the amount of time she spent alone instead of mooning over quidditch stars like normal teenage girls. She got the feeling that they viewed her as being beneath them, although they would never come out and say such things. The Johnsons thought she was a bad influence on Angelina (although how they could think such things when _Angelina_ was their daughter was beyond her). 

“It’s all good things,” Merriam reassured Katie, noticing her distressed look. She took Katie’s arm in her own, leading her down Kyprioth Court. “Now, tell me all about broom making. I used to love flying as a girl. Broom design sounds fascinating and Marcus has never been able to fully describe exactly what it is you do.”

Somehow, Merriam knew just the right thing to say to put Katie at ease. Following her lead, Katie began to tell Merriam about her passion for brooms. Merriam listened to every word she said, paying close attention and asking questions about things she didn’t understand. By the time that they reached the second-hand furniture shop, Katie adored Marcus’s mother. She hoped the reverse was true for Merriam.

* * *

Marcus should’ve known that this was a bad idea. He’d been scared at first that his mother wouldn’t approve of Katie as a friend for her son. He should’ve known better. Merriam had a kind heart, even if it was bruised from his father. No. Another problem had presented itself as they shopped, purchasing second-hand items for Marcus’s flat. Merriam and Katie got along like a house on fire. Based on the glances she kept shooting his way, Merriam had some very clear ideas of how Marcus’s friendship with Katie should evolve. 

It was Nilsy all over again. 

She didn’t say anything, though, to Marcus’s relief, choosing instead to shop for furniture, asking Marcus’s opinions every so often. He didn’t honestly have many opinions about furniture. Not like Katie. She had an eye for woodwork, picking out what had been carved by hand and what had been carved by spells. It was a skill she’d developed from spending so much time trimming and carving herself. There were callouses on her hands that Marcus didn’t have. Broom maker’s callouses. 

She’d be legendary someday. 

Marcus hoped he was still around to see it. 

“What do you think of this one?” Merriam pointed to a worn brown leather chair in the back of the second-hand shop. The back was high enough that Marcus would be able to sit in it comfortably provided that the chair was properly upholstered. Though, given their current location, Marcus doubted that was the case. 

Still, he didn’t care enough to protest. “Looks good.” 

As Katie and Merriam debated the merits of the chair, Marcus turned his focus towards his surroundings. The door opened and a tall man slipped inside. He wasn’t as tall as Marcus, but few people were. Where Marcus was built, this man was wiry. He had muscles, Marcus could tell, but they were wiry, gained from fighting—not from passing a quaffle or swinging a bat. He stayed near the entrance, seemingly eyeing the racks of used shoes near the door. Every once in a while, his eyes would flick towards their small group, glancing over Katie and focusing more on Merriam. 

Marcus didn’t like it. 

He wondered if the man was a spy for his father. Had Julian Flint managed to track down Merriam? Marcus should’ve known better than to let down his guard. His father wouldn’t stop hunting for his mother so long as he knew she mattered to Marcus. 

Keeping his fingers within reaching distance of his wand, Marcus stalked towards the man. He was young, he noticed as he approached him. Probably around Marcus’s age. The man’s focus remained on the shoe rack as Marcus got closer. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The man’s eyes flicked briefly down towards Marcus’s hand, so close to his wand. 

“Who are you?” Marcus demanded lowly, although that wasn’t really a question he needed answered. What he needed to know was whether or not the man was working for his father. He couldn’t just come out and say it. People knew Merriam in this place, and they didn’t know her as having any connection to Julian Flint. 

“Most people around here call me ‘Leo,’” he answered. “Who are you?” 

“Marcus.” He wasn’t going to share his last name. 

“Okay, _Marcus_ ,” there was venom in the man’s voice, “what are you doing with Merriam?” 

Leo didn’t seem to know who he was, which probably meant he wasn’t working for Julian. Probably, but not definitely. “Why do you want to know?” 

“She’s important to a friend of mine.” Marcus wasn’t expecting Leo to say that. He was glad that Merriam had made friends, but who had she befriended that made this young man keep an eye out for her? 

“Who?”

“You wouldn’t know them.” Leo dismisses the topic with a wave of his hand. “What I do want to know is what someone like you, and your friend Miss Bell over there—” That put Marcus on edge. His wand was on his fingers in a second, and so was Leo’s he noticed a heartbeat later. “—are doing shopping for furniture with Merriam.” 

“She’s helping us,” Marcus answered. Despite everything, he did not want to fight this man. Leo had a dangerous air about him. Marcus wasn’t certain he could take him in a duel. “How do you know _Miss Bell_ ’s name?” He didn’t want anything that happened here today to trace back to Katie, even if everything went well. 

Leo pulled a small leather pouch out of his pocket—Katie’s portable carving tools. Her name was engraved on the bottom left corner of the pouch. “She dropped this,” Leo said. 

“I doubt that.”

Leo smirked. “You’re smarter than you look.” He handed Marcus the bag. “I’ll leave you to your shopping. Just know, if you try to hurt Merriam…” Leo didn’t finish the threat. He didn’t need to. Instead, he smiled cheerfully at Marcus and left the shop. 

Turning back to his mother and Katie, Marcus mulled over Leo’s threat. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been threatened by someone who wasn’t Julian, and in the name of protecting his mother nonetheless. A peaceful feeling settled over Marcus as he joined them. “I think we should buy it,” he said. 

“Are you certain?” Merriam asked. Marcus took in her features as he nodded. She stood taller than he’d ever seen her stand. Her face was clean, free of bruises and hex scars. She looked good. She looked happy. 

_The alleys look after their own_ , she had told him once. Marcus was glad that she’d finally found a place that loved and accepted her for the wonderful woman she was. 

As Merriam began bargaining with the shopkeeper, Katie stepped up beside him. “What was that about?”

“He wanted to return these.” Marcus slipped Katie’s tools back into her hand, feeling the brush of her callouses against his fingers as he did. “Apparently, you dropped them.”

Katie snorted. “The lower alleys are unbelievable.” Marcus found himself mentally agreeing with her statement. The lower alleys were a world unto themself, and Merriam was a part of them, whether Marcus liked it or not.

**Author's Note:**

> Marcus's relationship with the lower alleys isn't really touched on in RBC, but I feel like he'd be passingly familiar with them since Merriam's there. I enjoyed writing her. Marcus gets his love for flying from his mother, which is part of the reason Julian took pleasure in destroying his brooms, even if that meant he'd spend more money in the long run. There will be more of her to come, but not much more of the lower alleys. This is probably the only time Katie/Marcus are really going to interact with any of the lower alley characters. They just don't fit into the story. Katie's a Diagon Alley kid. 
> 
> Helena's not a _bad_ parent, she and Katie just have trouble understanding each other. Their relationship isn't perfect. Hardly anyone's relationships with their parents are. 
> 
> Also, on the note of Alicia and Angelina's parents, I feel like we don't see enough prejudice "Light" purebloods in RBC, but they've got to be out there otherwise all the discriminatory legislation would have never been able to be passed. The Spinnets think that Alicia is "above" being friends with Katie... which would mean she's definitely "above" having any sort of relationship with Gilbert. Stick around to see what Alicia thinks about the subject.


End file.
